St. Paul daily globe., 1887-10-06


road and acquire by purchase, or construc-
uon, connections to the seaboard, instead of
extending its debt sixty or eighty years and
Perpetuatlng Its present exorbitant and
tyrannOuS eXactions.
=, That the telegraphs should be owned by
she government and operated by the postal
department.
That we are in favor of the early compile
lon OF the Hennepin canal by the United
states and the improvement of feasible
waterways.
Resolved, That we reergnize he valuable
service rendered by congress in the legisla-
uop against bogus butter and that we de-
mand the faithful execution of the law and
ASK for further legislation to prevent adulter-
alton of all food products.
/ ~ THE LABOR PROBLEM.
Hesolyed, That we sympatbize with the
Just demand of labor of every class and
recognize that many of the evils from which
tne farming community suffers, oppress uni
Versal labor and that therefore producers
should unite in a common demand for the
reform of just systems and the repeal of
laws that bear unequally upon the people.
Resolved, That the working classes of this
country form the great conservative and pre-
serving element whose power must stand be-
tween the nation and the foes which now
threaten its future well-being which comes
frem the restrained greed of the influential
monopotist who defies law and tramples
upon the principles of justice in his methods
ofacquiring wealth that others created, and
the less influential and less successful but
more demonstrative rabble, who practice
yielencet
Resolved, That the United States senators
shbuld be elected directly by the people.
Resolved, That in order to accomplish all
these reforms and to secure and maintain our
rights, we urge farmers throughout the coun-
try to aid in the work of immediate organiza-
ton, that we may act in concert and for our
own and the common good.
COOPERATION WITH THE KNIGHTS.
August Post introduced resolution
to the effect that the National Farmers
alliance appoint committee consisting
OF one delegate from each state, to meet
a similar committee from the Knights
of Labor, for the purpose of forming
cooperative bureau of whatever nature
they may deem best, and report the
same to each respective body for ap-
proval.
Pending the adoption of the resolu-
ton there was considerable discussion.
Senator Whiting, of Illinois. said:
see no line of union between the Farmers
reason for appointing a committee
of conference. The X of L. is becom-
ing badly tinctured with Henry Georgeism.
[Cries of no, no. There is no harmony at
of work.
Over dozen delegates sprang to their
feet to respond. DR.. Kennedy, of Iowa,
said:
We are not here to indorse any party or
organization, and the fact that we appoint
committee to confer with the Knights of
Labor does not signify that we agree with
them in all their beliefs. We want an ex
change of thought and opinion. Another
object to the conference is to adopt some har-
monious plan of action in legislative assem-
blies.
j. W. Burrows, an enthusiastic
speaker, said:
T da,,v fhatt iOht Of oh TIM
tured with Henry GeorgeiSm. | think Seha-
tor Whitney is entirely mistaken in his
charge, and do not believe that this body
should go on record as opposing any organ
iZation that is struggling for the salvation of
the laboring classes.
The resolution was then adopted with
but one dissenting voice, and the follow
ing committee was appointed: Eric
Olson, af Minnesota; j. W. Tobey, of
Wisconsin; NJ. George, of Illinois;
Jesse Kennedy, of Iowa; J. w. Bur
rows, of Nebraska, and j. W. Harden,
Of Dakota.
GOVERNMENT AND RAILROADS.
There was then general discussion
on the feasibility of the government
owning and operating the railroads.
Senator Whiting, of Illinois, said the
Union Pacific was in such condition
financially that the government really
owned it: that they had furnished so
much money to the parties building this
road, and that pauperS in the poor
houses might, under the same circum-
stances, have built the road. He
thought it would be better for
the government to take this road
and then acquire an Eastern connection
to the Atlantic coast. so as to have a
through line from coast to coast, and
they could then soon find out whether
If 9 mr. cti 40 h1n To m n lyn fhic ohanCo
j. W!BurrOws said that he had taken
the trouble to ascertain what the freight
charges were from Grand Island, on the
Union Pacific, and Hastings, on the
B. 81 NJ. railway, to the Missouri
river. and found that the people of Ne
bfaSka were paying seven times as
much for freight per mile as the people
were east of the river. This discussion
was on motion to strike out portion
of the transportation clause in the reSO-
lutiOns, but it was finally withdrawn.
T. FL. Barrett, presidentof the Mime
sofa alliance, read an address on the
mission of the laboring classes and the
future which was before them. He
called attention to the evils to which
labor was subject, including railroads
and corporations of all kinds. and the
favOritiSm and discrimination shown to
the rich to the disadvantage of the poor
in our legislative assemblies. He said
the only remedy was cooperation and
combination against these rich corpora
ton. The address was ordered pub
liShed. The alliance then proceeded to
the election of officers for the ensuing
year with the following result:
NEW OFFICERS.
President, Jay w. Burrows, of Gage
county, Nebraska; vice president,
Lorenzo d. Whiting, of Bureau county,
Illinois; treasurer, John j. Furlong, of
Mower county. Minnesota; secretary,
August Post, of Appanoose county,
Iowa; lecturer, Alban d. Chase, of Cod
ington county, Dakota. The new officers
were then formally installed in office.
REPEAL OBNOXIOUS LAWS.
The committee on cooperation with
the Knights of Labor then made their
report. They had met the committee
from the K. of L. convention at the st.
James hotel where after some discus
sion they had come to the conclusion
that the evils of which both societies
complained were the results of unjust
laws passed through the legislatures by
the efforts of the mOnOpOlies, and that
the most practicable way to meet this
matter was to circulate petitions asking
for the repeal of these laws and to re-
fuse to support any man for office who
had ever refused to support the meas
ures advocated by either the Alliance
or the Knights of Labor. The report
was referred to the executive committee.
The following resolution, introduced by
A. j. Streetor, was adopted:
Resolved, That we, the National Farmers
alliance in convention assembled, express
our sympathy for the people of Ireland in
her struggles against the landlord system,
which reduces the farmers of Ireland to the
position of tenants, and in their efforts for
home rule. in the hope that if successful the
farmers of Ireland under home rule may be-
come freeholders as are the farmers of this
country. j, w. Harden said he was in favor
including Dakota with Ireland in these reso-
lutiOns. The alliance then adjourned sine